Harare - The Government of Zimbabwe, through the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) has officially declared an end to a protracted cholera outbreak that began on 12 February 2023. The declaration was made in line with Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC) guidelines following zero reports of cholera cases in Zimbabwe for more than four consecutive weeks.

“The Ministry of Health and Child Care wishes to notify WHO that the cholera outbreak, which was first reported on 12 February 2023 in Chegutu District is now declared over after a protracted 18 months of response,” noted MoHCC the Permanent Secretary Dr Aspect Maunganidze in a letter to the World Health Organization (WHO) in Zimbabwe.

The cholera outbreak was reported in all the country’s 10 provinces, with 62 districts affected. Through implementation of multi-faceted interventions, the outbreak has now been contained. The last case of cholera was reported on 30 June 2024 and the country had recorded 34 549 suspected cholera cases, 4 217 confirmed cases and 33 831 recoveries. Cumulative deaths reported were 718 with 87 being laboratory confirmed and 631 suspected deaths. The Case fatality Rate was 2.1%.

WHO played a critical role in supporting Zimbabwe’s response to the cholera outbreak. Essential medical supplies worth close to $1 million were procured and handed over to MoHCC to scale up response activities. In addition, cholera treatment centres and units were also put in place and 4,083 health workers trained in case management, water quality testing, laboratory testing, infection, prevention and control (IPC) within CTCs as well as in surveillance.  WHO was also responsible for partner coordination to avoid duplication of efforts and promote optimal use of resources.

WHO also supported risk communication and community engagement activities to raise awareness about cholera prevention and treatment. Furthermore, WHO provided support for the two rounds of the oral cholera vaccines (OCV) vaccination campaigns, where over 2.4 million doses of OCV were administered. WHO also provided technical expertise, and personnel to bolster the country's capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to the epidemic. WHO Regional Office for Africa and Headquarters deployed 14 surge experts to support the response while 12 WHO Zimbabwe staff were repurposed to reinforce the cholera response.

“While we celebrate this significant milestone, it is crucial to acknowledge the challenges that lie ahead,” said Dr Desta Tiruneh, WHO Representative to Zimbabwe. He added, “Strengthening our health systems and investing in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure are essential to prevent future outbreaks. We must build on the lessons learned from this experience to create a more resilient health system.”

Funding for the overall cholera response came from various donors including the Contigency Funds for Emergencies (CFE), the Health Resilience Fund, (a pool of funding from European Union, GAVI, The Vaccine Alliance, as well as the Governments of Ireland and the United Kingdom), the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, the Russian Federation as well as USAID.